News

Summer Camp 2013 Registration Open

Registration for 2013 Summer Camps is now open. Camp has been shown to have a dramatic impact on the development of children and youth. California-Nevada Annual Conference camps will work toward enriching the lives of children and adults through their focus on a relationship with Jesus Christ and God, friendship, skills, leadership, servant leaderships skills and self-esteem. Realizing that families have differing abilities to pay for summer camp, a voluntary 3-tier pricing program...

Shasta Camp Pavilion Dedicated

By Carol Kern  Publicity Chair, Shasta Camp Committee An amazing dedication and celebration event was held at Shasta Camp Sept. 8, 2012 for the recently completed new building, The Pavilion. Around 100 people gathered for the event, which included tours of the camp, a program, lunch, and plenty of reminiscing. Those who attended were people who have taken part in the shaping of the camp through the years, along with campers, community members from the greater Mt. Shasta...

The Waller Center Opens in the Heart of a Community

By Kelly Newell and Jane Horstman* The Waller Center, a new urban community center nestled on the outskirts of the San Francisco neighborhood of Cole Valley and adjacent to Haight Ashbury, officially opened its doors to the community on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012.    It was the vision of the Board of Camping and Retreat Ministries to transform the former Hamilton United Methodist Church, on the corner of Waller and Belvedere streets, into Waller Center – a vibrant ecumenical...

A New Urban Community Center Is Emerging

By Kelly Newell CA-NV Director of Camping and Young People's Ministry Join the Board of Camping and Retreat Ministries at an open house on Saturday, Oct. 20, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., to witness the transformation of a former church into a vibrant Community and Urban retreat center, serving the needs of ecumenical and nonprofit groups from throughout Northern California.   Light refreshments will be provided, along with tours of the facility.   This new urban community...

Fall Opportunities for Youth Groups

By Kelly Newell Director, Young People's Ministries and Camping The California-Nevada Annual Conference Committee on Young People's Ministry hopes to provide opportunities for connection and resources to support the local church in its ministry with young people.   This fall, your youth group (Junior and Senior High) will have two opportunities to serve and grow with other youth groups from around the Conference.   On Sept. 22, we will host a service opportunity: a workday at...

Dedication Set for Sept. 8 for Shasta Camp Pavilion

By Carol Kern Publicity Chairperson, Shasta Camp Committee The new Pavilion at Shasta Camp has been completed and this summer's campers have been able to use it for dining, crafts, music, as a gathering place for conversation and table games, and for worship.   It is wonderful – and perhaps the cooks are the happiest, because the kitchen is so large and equipped with sinks, a stove, refrigerator, and a monstrous island for food preparation.       &...

Tracking with Trak-1

There seems to be some confusion about the new Trak-1 system for background checks. Contrary to what some people have believed, Trak-1 is mandatory only for Conference-sponsored activities. It is offered to local churches solely as a convenience, but is not required for churches' own programs. In other words, while Trak-1 is the only system in use to provide clearance to take part in Conference-sponsored events such as working at camp, participating in UMVIM trips, etc. – churches that...

Online Registration Opens for 2012 Summer Camps

Registration is open now for this year's summer camps at Monte Toyon, Lodestar, and the Urban Camp in San Francisco. Click on the Registrations tab on the Home Page of the Conference website at www.cnumc.org and select "Youth Event Registrations," or visit the Camping section of the website (www.cnumc.org/camping) to register and to access: Online child and youth camp registration Online volunteer registration Camp formsBrochures Maps Everything else you...

Shasta Camp Hires Sacramento Couple as New Hosts-Caretakers

The United Methodist-owned Shasta Camp, in Northern California, welcomes the Rev. David and Cedar Moss as the new camp hosts/caretakers.  Before joining Shasta Camp in August, the Mosses lived in Sacramento, where they worked with the homeless. Before Sacramento, Moss, a retired United Methodist pastor, served in ministry in Northern California at Trinity UMC in Chico, Pioneer UMC in Auburn, and Chester UMC.   David and Cedar have two sons: Gabriel, who lives and works in...

2012 Bishop's Confirmation Retreat Registration Opens

Registration has opened for the 2012 Bishop's Confirmation Retreats – scheduled March 9-10 at Monte Toyon and May 18-19 at Camp Lodestar. Each retreat is an opportunity for confirmation candidates to engage in a high-energy, hands-on event through worship, workshops, and fellowship with Bishop Warner H. Brown, Jr. (resident bishop of the California-Nevada Annual Conference), workshop leaders, and other United Methodist youth. This can be a faith-deepening experience before, during, or...

Lodestar Mission Experience, Sept. 12-16

By Cynthia DeLand Lynnewood UMC "We are small, but we are mighty," as our leader, Steve Elliott, said. Six of us from three Tri-Valley United Methodist churches spent five days working on the two top maintenance items at Camp Lodestar, one of two retreat centers for The United Methodist Church's California-Nevada Annual Conference. Our team consisted of Donna Lundquist from San Ramon Valley UMC, Cynthia DeLand from Lynnewood UMC, and Dick Crawford, Steve Elliott, Roger Everett, and...

Shasta Camp Host and Caretaker to Retire

By Carol Kern Publicity Chairperson, Shasta Camp Committee Paul Armantrout, Shasta Camp Host and Caretaker for many years, has decided to retire. Paul has been in residence year-round at the camp, sometimes enduring many feet of snow in the wintertime. On those occasions he has had to snowshoe out of the camp – a distance of a quarter of a mile – in order to get to his car, to head down a perilous icy road into town to get supplies!   His job as Camp Host brought Paul...

High Schoolers: 'Meet Jesus in the Streets' This Summer

By Kelly Newell Director, Young People's Ministries and Camping  "See to the welfare of the city where I have sent you…" (Jeremiah 29:7)   Urban Camp is brand new this year! It's based on this simple idea: Most of what Jesus did – whether in the big city of Jerusalem or the surrounding rural areas – happened in the streets, in the houses, in the public places, on the highways and byways of his world. We want to meet Jesus in the streets,...

Just ONE Camper

By Kelly Newell Director, Young People's Ministries and Camping With camp season just around the corner, and camp registration in full swing, I was thinking ... what if every church sent us just ONE camper? That alone would be approximately 365 children and youth in our camp programs and at our camp sites.   We offer a wide variety of programs, from Urban Camp (brand new this year! Read related story) to Children's and Jr. High  Camp, to a variety of programs for senior...

Confirmation Events 2011

By Kelly Newell Director, Young People's Ministries and Camping The spirit was alive and well at our Bishop's Confirmation events this spring. More than 175 young people participated in this important event which highlights, celebrates, and commissions our young people who have made the confirmation decision in their faith journey. We had some new churches join us and a few familiar faces, and a great time was had by all.   We had three different events: overnight retreats at...

Shasta Family Camp 2011: 'Where God Happens'

Where does God happen? Find out through Scripture, discussion, reflection, and a variety of other activities as you explore how God happens in your family, school, work, social life, and in the lives of others – at this year's Shasta Family Camp, Saturday, July 23-Friday, July 29. Campers will experience fellowship over tasty meals, worship, and Bible study/discussion each morning; have free time to swim, hike, explore, socialize, or rest during the afternoon; and enjoy dinner and...

Everything You Need to Register for Summer Camp Is Now on Line!

Registration is now open for this year's summer camps at Monte Toyon, Lodestar, and the Urban Camp in San Francisco. Click on the Registrations tab on the Home Page of the Conference website at www.cnumc.org, or visit the Camping section of the website (click on "Camping" under "Areas of Interest" on the right side of the Home Page) and click on "2011 Summer Camps" to register and to access: Online camp registration Online volunteer registration ...

Shasta New Vision Pavilion Is Winterized; Project Still in Need of Funds

By Carol Kern Thanks to contractor Chris Maroni, his able crew, and his promise to the camp committee, the New Vision Pavilion at Shasta Camp was closed in, mid-December. It now has a roof, sides, and windows added to the foundation and lower story storage area. This coming summer the interior will be worked on and (we hope!) finished. This new structure will provide meeting and dining space for about 100 participants and will contain two handicap-accessible bathrooms (with showers) and a...

New Vision Pavilion Construction at Shasta Camp Is on Schedule

Construction of the New Vision Pavilion at Shasta Camp is on schedule, thanks to favorable weather. The two-story building will provide an indoor venue for programs, dining, fellowship, and worship for about 100 participants, with storage on the ground floor. It will include two handicap-accessible bathrooms (with showers) and a fully equipped kitchen.   Contractors are looking to have the building weather tight by the time severe winter weather hits.     The...

Conference Camp: Not Just a Time-Killer for Kids

By the Rev. Kristen Marshall* Camp is not just a cutesy time-killer for those two long months of your kids' summer vacation. Camp is a life-changing, disciple-making, faith-building, relationship-strengthening, spirit-empowering, and fun experience that can be one part – and a vital part – of your youth or child's walk with Christ. And if you don’t believe me, just listen to what some of our high school youth have said about the summer camps our Conference has offered in...